Remedy for Tragedy
by Smexi-MnM's
Summary: The Argon sisters are first and foremost survivors, with a fierce desire to live. Escaping Woodbury, they manage to earn the gradual trust of another group of survivors. Yet the past is never forgotten, and soon, Steph and Kayla's secrets come to light... Daryl/OC; Rick/OC
1. Escape From Woodbury

**Chapter One: Escape From Woodbury**

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys! This is the first chapter of our Walking Dead fic. I hope you enjoy. It will mainly be focused around Daryl, Rick, The Governor and our two OC's. Let us know what you think!**

* * *

Steph Argon trailed into the prison, hugging her jacket tighter around her. She raked a hand through her auburn hair as she examined the place she'd come to along with the other surviving Woodbury residents. It was grimmer than the little town, definitely, but she had never been comfortable in Woodbury. It hadn't been the brutal fights, but rather the Governor himself. She shivered and made it a point to forget.

Glancing around, Steph couldn't find Kayla anywhere. That was what concerned her the most. Her older sister had been with the Woodbury Army during the fight, and considering how many of them had been killed, the longer Steph didn't find Kayla, the more it felt like water trickling through her fingers. Steph could only hope that her sister was somewhere in the prison.

It was selfish, really. Kayla had always protected Steph, and now she felt like she _needed _her_._ She'd needed Kayla with her since the day she'd pointed a gun at their little brother's head and pulled the trigger. It was something she'd had to do, for her own survival...but Ben's death, and her role in it, still had the potential to cause Steph to feel guilty.

"Are you cold?" A dark-haired man in perhaps his mid-thirties approached Steph with a standard-issue prison blanket. She nodded slowly.

"A little. It's chilly in here."

"This should help." He handed her the blanket. He had the look of a hardened man who was in control, who knew what he was doing. Steph accepted the blanket from him and offered him a warm smile; one she knew wouldn't really reach her green eyes.

"Thank you."

Daryl rolled his eyes as he watched Rick give the blanket to the young girl. He glanced around at the rest of the people from Woodbury. He didn't like that Rick had decided to bring them back, he didn't exactly trust that they would suddenly hate the Governor when he had taken care of them for so long. Daryl rested his crossbow across his shoulder, watching as Rick walked over towards him.

"We need to hunt. Our food supply is going to run short even with the supplies from Woodbury." Rick told him, glancing around at the survivors. There were at least three times as many people to feed now, but it also meant more hands to help defend the prison as well as clearing it and rebuilding the wall that had been destroyed.

"When are we leaving?" Daryl questioned, watching as Maggie, Glenn and the others from their group led the Woodbury people to their cells, which would act as rooms.

"We'll leave tomorrow at dawn. I'm sure Glenn and Maggie can keep this lot under control." Rick told him and Daryl nodded in acknowledgement. Everyone from their group seemed more on edge than normal.

"How many have we got now?" Daryl questioned, knowing Rick would have counted them earlier.

Rick continued to look around the prison, noting how distressed the young girl he'd given the blanket seemed to be. "About fifty. A good number but a hard one to control."

"Great, great..." Daryl muttered to himself. He wasn't overly happy about the Woodbury people coming to live with them, but he wasn't going to argue with Rick.

"Means more people to hunt, though." Rick pointed out and Daryl nodded in agreement. The more people they had, the less work it would be on everyone.

"If we can get them all working it'd be good." Daryl rakes a hand through his hair. To him, half of the people didn't look like they were able to do a decent amount of work.

"We can rebuild the wall on the far side that's collapsed. Clear out the cells. Make a real community." Rick glanced around, examining the prison, noticing how much work it needed to make it like a home. "Maybe start repopulating eventually." Rick grinned, prompting Daryl to laugh. "We'll have to eventually."

"Don't get too keen, mate." Daryl chuckled as the two walked outside.

Rick shook his head, glancing around. "Hey, I already have two kids."

"So you're not going to be repopulating anymore?" Daryl winked, examining his cross bow.

"I don't think I need to. You on the other hand..." Rick trailed off, leaving the rest of the sentence as an implication.

"What about me?" Daryl questioned, turning to Rick.

Rick raised an eyebrow, inclining his head slightly. "Well, you'll need to find yourself a girl. Or have you already found one?"

Daryl groaned, letting his head fall back. "Let's not go into this."

* * *

Steph sat down, still coming to terms with the place that was going to be her new home. The only other option would have been staying in Woodbury, at the Governor's mercy. A shudder of disgust ran through her body. The Governor would have kept her alive, there was no doubt about that, but she wouldn't have liked the price she would have to pay for it. A young boy with dark hair and blue eyes crossed over and handed her a bottle of water. She unscrewed the lid and drank gratefully.

"Thank you." Steph examined the boy. He was in his early teens; probably around the same age that Ben would be if he were alive. She forced her mind from the matter. It still hurt too much to think of Ben.

"I'm Carl," the boy stated.

She couldn't help but smile. "Hi, Carl. I'm Steph. How old are you?"

"Thirteen," Carl replied rather proudly, "You?"

"Nineteen," Steph responded, pushing herself to her feet. She wondered whether this boy had any family. He certainly hadn't been a Woodbury resident. "Are you an orphan, Carl?"

"No, my dad's that one." Carl pointed to the dark-haired man who had given Steph the blanket, and seemed to be overseeing the settling in of the former Woodbury residents. "He's the leader of our group. The one with the crossbow is his right-hand man. No one questions them. They've always been able to lead us through difficult times."

Steph nodded slowly. "Wow. That sounds…cool, but scary. I don't want them to shoot me."

Why would they shoot her? It was Kayla who was the tough one. Steph was meek as a mouse and always did what she was told, which she thought would keep her under the radar. Funny thing was, in Woodbury, it did the exact opposite.

"They won't," Carl assured her. Examining him more critically, Steph noticed he had a gun in his belt. Great, even the kid had a weapon on him. She was starting to wonder what sort of place she'd come to – but what was certain was that it surely couldn't be any worse than the place she'd come _from._

* * *

Kayla Argon staggered through the woods, knife in hand. She had been part of the Governor's group and had managed to get away with one scrape on her leg from a bullet. She has to get back to Woodbury and find her sister. She couldn't bear the thought of leaving Steph alone. She knew that the Governor would take advantage of her not being there.

Daryl was a few metres away from Kayla. Checking the tracks on the ground for any sign of deer. Rick was behind him, glancing around as he watched his friend. The sun caught on something on the leaf, making it sparkle and Rick couldn't help but notice. He touched the leaf, watching as his fingers came away stained red. "Daryl."

"Mmm?" Daryl glanced over his shoulder at Rick, rising to his feet.

"Blood." Rick told him, holding up his fingers.

They both spun around as they heard the sound of Kayla falling. Key grimaced in pain as the undergrowth cut into her palms, adding to the throbbing pain in her leg. Daryl and Rick both strode towards the sound, Daryl raising his crossbow and aiming it as Kay as her and Rick noticed her on the ground. .

Daryl watched as Kay spun around. "Who are you?"

"My name's Kayla." Kayla told them, moving away from them slightly, reaching for her knife.

Rick glanced at her leg, training his gun on her. "Were you bitten?"

Kayla shook her head, watching as Daryl knelt down in front of her. "No. It's a gunshot wound. The bullet only grazed my leg."

"Where are you from?" Daryl questioned as he examined the wound, causing her to wince in pain as he gently prodded it.

"Oklahoma." Kayla answered, unsure of why he was asking her where she was from.

Rick watched, glancing at the wound over Daryl's shoulder. "Is she clear?"

"Seems to be. I mean, after that. Are you one of the Governor's?" Daryl asked, unsure as to why she would've been out in the woods alone with only a knife for protection.

"I was. He was the one who shot me. Massacred twenty-five people. I was trying to get back to Woodbury to find my sister but I can't walk properly." Kayla relayed to them. She guessed the two men in front of her were part of the prison group the Governor was trying to kill.

"Your sister? What's her name?" Daryl assumed her sister would've been one of the survivors that were now in the prison.

Kayla glanced between Rick and Daryl as Daryl helped her to her feet. "Steph."

Rick remembered Steph to be the young girl with the green eyes that he had given the blanket to. "She's at the prison."

Daryl nodded, looking to Rick as he supported Kay. "Should we bring her back?"

"If she tries anything, we shoot her." Rick told him before beginning to walk back towards the prison.

"Okay."

* * *

Steph heard the commotion at the front of the prison, and froze in her steps when she saw whom Rick and Daryl had returned with. A blonde young woman limped in through the door, helped by Rick – it was her sister! Steph didn't ever think she'd been more relieved to see anyone in her life.

"Kay?!"

"Steph!" Kayla exclaimed, tearing away from Rick and running over despite her limp, hugging her tightly. Once she was in her older sister's arms, Steph felt warm. Safe. Like nothing in the world could hurt her. When Kayla was around, nothing bad could ever happen. It was the mantra she'd been repeating in her head since they were little, more fervently than ever in Woodbury under the Governor's all too eager eye.

"Thank god you're okay!" Steph exclaimed.

Kayla held her younger sister close. "I was so worried he'd gotten you. I'm sorry I didn't come get you."

"It's okay, you shouldn't worry about me." Steph's green eyes flicked to the injury on her sister's leg. "You know I would've been fine."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Kayla asked. It had been scary, thinking about what might have happened to Steph when she wasn't around to look after her little sister. "I was just so worried."

"I thought he might have killed you." Steph bit at her lip. "He said...he said you were gone."

Kayla cracked a smile. "You honestly think he could kill me? I'm invincible, remember?"

Steph raked back her auburn hair. "He was...weird, when you were missing."

"Did he hurt you?" Kayla asked sternly. She knew exactly how the Governor was _weird_ around Steph, because she'd seen it before. It was why she'd tried so hard to keep her little sister away from him, uninvolved.

"No." Steph shook her head fervently. "But he...I just had to get out of there and find you."

"I can take care of myself," Kayla informed her. She knew how to handle a weapon better than most. "You know that."

Steph frowned a little. "Hey, so can I."

"I won't ever leave you again," Kayla promised, holding her younger sister close. She couldn't lose Steph, not after everything else. "I promise."


	2. World So Cold

**Chapter Two: World So Cold**

Kayla pushed her long blonde hair behind her ear as she washed the blood off of herself. She glanced at the dressing that was on her leg, covering the bullet wound that had been cleaned earlier. She didn't like being injured; it always made her feel somewhat helpless as it usually limited her movements.

She continued to wash the blood and dirt off herself as she stripped out of the clothes she had been previously wearing. The shirt was one of her favourites, but was stained with blood and dirt all over. She sincerely hoped that it could be washed out, as she didn't like the clothes she was finding as she searched through for something to wear, finding a pile of Steph's clothes.

A flicker of movement in her peripheral alerted Kay to Daryl's presence as he leant against the doorframe, "Feeling any better?"

"A bit sore." Kay shrugged, grabbing one of her sister's singlets and tugging it on.

"It's good that you and your sister can borrow each others' clothes." Daryl commented, watching as she finished changing.

"Well, she's curvier than me, but I'm taller than her so we are the same size." Kay explained, tying her hair back into a ponytail.

Daryl nodded, watching her as she moved around the small prison cell that was now she home, "Is it good, seeing her again

"I've missed her. She's my only family now." Kay offered him a small smile before biting her lip, "I'm sorry about Merle."

"How did you hear about that? The Governor?" Daryl questioned, his emotional defences blocking out any feeling about his brothers death.

Kay nodded, sitting down on her bed, watching Daryl. "Yes. I may not have liked him, but I know what its like to lose your sibling."

"So I'm guessing you two were pretty good pals with the Governor." Daryl examined her, wondering what uses she had for the Governor. She looked not much older than her sister in his eyes, and her sister was just a kid.

"I was his tactical specialist." Kayla informed him, stretching out on the bunk.

Daryl nodded thoughtfully, guessing Kayla must've had some sort of military training, "And your sister, what did she do?"

Kay shrugged her shoulders. She'd been the one involved with the politics while Steph kept quiet. "Tried to stay out of trouble."

Daryl chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest. "She doesn't seem like a troublemaker."

Kay nodded, he was right. Steph had always been the good child. She'd always taken care of their younger brother, Ben, when their mother was drunk. Ben had only just been born when their father had walked out on them. Kay had always felt bad about running away and joining the military, but she hated home and her family needed the money. Especially Steph as she had wanted to go to college, it had always been her dream. Kay couldn't remember a time when she hadn't protected her younger sister.

"The Governor liked her in a more than friendly way." Kay blurted out, biting her lip once the words were out.

Daryl's eyebrows creased together, a look of confusion in his eyes. "She's a kid."

Kay couldn't help but scoff. When had age ever stopped anyone? "And he's psychotic.'

"That's true." Daryl agreed, raking his eyes over her, "Did he ever hurt you?"

Kay shook her head. She was used to people like the Governor. People who were mentally unstable. "No. I was always careful around him. My mother was... unstable. I know how to handle people like that."

"Are you tired?" Daryl questioned, watching as Kay yawned and her eyes filled with water.

Kayla nodded, raking a hand through her hair that had fallen from its confines. "I haven't slept much the past week."

"Running from him?" Daryl sat beside her, already having guessed the answer. "And walkers."

Kayla nodded, although the main thing keeping her from sleep had been her worry for her sister. "And worry."

"About your sister?" Daryl leant back against the wall, watching Kay.

Kay nodded, pulling her knees to her chest. "Yes."

Daryl pushed his hair out of his face. "She does seem...vulnerable."

"She is." Kay mused, staring at the spot in front of her.

"But I know from experience of being the younger one. You don't want to be babied by an older sibling." Daryl grinned lopsidedly, trying to ease the tension that had settled in the room.

Kay offered a small smile, her eyes lighting up just a little. "I try not to. I just want to protect her."

"Can she handle a weapon?" Daryl asked, wondering if Steph was completely helpless or not.

"I taught her to shoot." Kay answered. She had taught Steph to shoot when she was on leave. A precaution to make sure that she could defend herself if needed.

Daryl raised an eyebrow, "Can she shoot well?"

"Well enough." Kay shrugged. Steph was a good shot, but she was hesitant.

Daryl grinned, "But you're better."

"I was trained." Kay played with her hands out of nervous habit, chewing her lip.

Daryl gave her a questioning look. "By who?"

"I was military before all of this started."

* * *

Steph wandered back into the prison, bouncing the half-deflated soccer ball she and Carl had managed to find. Listening to the boy talk animatedly, she was struck by how much Carl reminded her of her brother Ben. He was somewhere between a child and an adult, forced to grow up through his experiences and frustrated that no one would treat him like he was an equal. Steph had suggested a game of soccer when they'd found the ball, and Carl had all too readily agreed.

_"Steph…" Ben's green eyes fluttered closed. There were bites all over his skin and she was holding him and sobbing, because there was nothing she could do to save him. They had one weapon between them: an old revolver that Steph had never fired, preferring to knife the walkers rather than waste ammunition. "Do it."_

_"I…I can't," Steph stammered. She was weak, she knew she was weak. If she was stronger, she could have saved Ben from being attacked by those walkers. Well, she had saved him…but for what? He was only going to turn now. She watched as Ben's eyes snapped open, bright and fierce._

_"You have to. Otherwise I'm going to become one of them."_

_He took her wrist and moved her shaking hand so that the gun was level with his forehead. Steph was crying hard now, shaking her head. Her baby brother…she was meant to protect him. How could she shoot him? He would die and come back as a walker, she knew that…but how could she accept it when it was Ben right here in front of her, not some monster?_

Steph drew herself out of her reverie as she noticed Rick, Carl's dad, watching them walk into the prison. She tossed the soccer ball to Carl and he caught it easily, crossing over to talk to a blonde girl perhaps a few years younger than Steph. Rick walked over to her and she brushed a strand of auburn hair behind her ear.

"You're good with kids," Rick noted.

Steph nodded slowly. "I had a little brother about Carl's age."

"What was his name?" Rick asked gently. He knew that due to the boy's absence, he must have suffered the same fate as so many others. He was either a walker, or he was dead. Either way, the sorrow in Steph's green eyes told that story.

"Ben," she murmured.

"What happened?" Rick inquired, knowing that he shouldn't be so curious about something that wasn't really his concern.

_"Do it!" Ben yelled at her._

_"I'm sorry, Ben, I'm sorry." She kissed his cheek, her tears dripping onto his grimy face. "I love you, I do."_

_"I know." Ben seemed to relax once he realised she was going to listen to him. "I love you too, Steph. But it's because you love me that you have to do this. I don't want to become one of them, I don't."_

_Steph was shaking and sobbing, but she managed a nod and Ben closed his eyes. He was brave, such a brave little thing, even in the face of something so horrific. Then she pulled the trigger and the gun went off with a sharp bang and she was screaming and screaming…_

Steph pressed her lips together tight. "He died."

"The walkers?" Rick asked. It was a common fate. He remembered Sophia…it was so hard, especially when they were young, but the fact of the matter was in this horrible world, you had to do hard things in order to survive.

"No. Well. Sort of. I…had to kill him."

"Oh. I'm sorry." Rick didn't know how he'd cope if something like that ever happened to Carl. He had already suffered through Lori's death. He didn't think he could take another loss without losing his sanity.

"No, it's okay," Steph assured him softly, "I guess…it was a matter of life or death. I didn't want to see him become one of them."

Rick nodded. "Your sister, was she there?"

"Not when he died, no." Steph wasn't sure what would have happened if Kayla had been there. Would Kayla have stopped her from pulling the trigger? There was a bitter taste in her mouth. No, Kayla would have saved Ben before he walkers could get to him.

"How did you two meet up?" Rick found that he was full of questions, without really knowing why.

"We met just before Woodbury." Steph allowed herself the ghost of a smile. "Coincidence really."

Rick smiled, too. "I bet she was happy to see you."

"Yeah, she was." Steph feel into grimness again, remembering Woodbury…and the Governor. "But she wasn't very happy in Woodbury after a while. She didn't like the Governor. But she was one of his better people and she didn't want to risk that…or risk me."

"She sacrificed her happiness for you," Rick stated. He was a little uncertain about some of the vague implications Steph was making regarding the Governor, but he wasn't sure that he wanted to know. "She seems very protective of you."

"She is." Steph nodded, playing with her hands. "I was happy there at first, too. But I guess, once you start to realise the truth about people, you can't stay happy."

"That's true," Rick agreed.

"The Governor shot her," Steph murmured, more to herself than Rick. "I didn't think he would. She played the loyal one. He thought she was obedient. But he liked me. I think that's one of the reasons Kay was unhappy there."

Steph had often wondered, with a shudder of disgust, what might have happened if Kayla hadn't been around in Woodbury to look after her. It had been subtle at first, just lingering touches on Steph's arm, playing with strands of her auburn hair. Then the touching had started to make Steph uncomfortable. She was in her late teens, he was a man in his early or mid forties…old enough to be her father.

Then the Governor had become blunt, as if thinking Steph didn't understand the insinuations. He informed her that visits to his bed would ensure safety for herself and Kayla…and it had been _tempting._ Not because of him, God no. But because Kayla had always protected Steph, and Steph had wanted to do what was best for her older sister in return. Yet she'd been afraid. So she'd murmured polite excuses and soft refusals, in the hope that the Governor would be put off. But he never was.

"What did she do before all of this?" Rick questioned.

"Military work," Steph raked her hair back. "She's the interesting one. I mean, she's a soldier. She had worth in Woodbury. I was just…I'm not quite sure what I was."

_The Governor's pet,_ a voice inside her head suggested slyly, but she shook it away. She'd never asked for the Governor's advances.

"Everyone is worth something," Rick assured her, watching as she averted her green eyes, staring at the ground.

"I could have got her promoted even more. That's what the Governor said."

"I'm sure she's happy you didn't," he replied. Rick understood what Steph meant by the Governor 'liking' her now. Her agitated state when she brought it up assured him that the feeling definitely wasn't mutual.

"I was selfish, though." Steph looked up. "She protects me, but I don't make any sacrifices for her."

"She doesn't need you to sacrifice things for her," Rick insisted, putting a hand on her shoulder, "It sounds to me as if your happiness makes her happy."

Steph smiled shyly. "I think so."


	3. Family

**Chapter Three: Family**

* * *

**A/N: Hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Reviews are love.**

* * *

Kayla shifted in her sleep, her dreams flashing through her mind. She was positioned half on the bed, half off of it. Her dreams morphed into nightmares of how her boyfriend had been killed. It had happened a little over a year before they had met the Governor, but it still felt fresh in her mind as her body pulled itself from the nightmare, her jerking movement causing her to wince in pain due to her injured leg.

Kayla pushed the sheet back, rolling up her pants to examine her leg, noticing the blood running down her leg from where she had pulled a stitch. "Fuck."

Kayla looked around for something to clean up the blood with, spotting a towel at the end of her bed. She grabbed it and pressed it to the place where she had torn her stitch. She glanced up as she felt someone's eyes on her, noticing Daryl standing in the doorway of her room. She raised an eyebrow but kept quiet as she noticed her leg had stopped bleeding.

"What's up with the leg?" Daryl questioned, gesturing to the blood that had seeped through her pants earlier.

"Pulled a stitch." Kayla told him, moving so that she was sitting cross-legged.

"Ouch." Daryl commented, sitting down on the edge of her bed.

"I've had worse." Kay shrugged. She had received worse injuries while playing sport and training when she was in the military.

"Really?" Daryl raised an eyebrow.

Kay grinned, pulling her hair back into a ponytail. "Tattoos hurt more."

"You have tattoos?" Daryl was surprised that she did. She didn't seem like the type of person who would.

"Of course. I was a wild child." Kayla grinned. When she was younger she had always been one to party and drink. She didn't even remember who she'd lost her virginity to, although she knew she had been fifteen when she had. Her attitude had earned her a reputation, which had caused people to be unkind to her sister at times too.

"How old were you?" Daryl leant back against the wall.

"Got my first when I was sixteen." Kay showed him the small tattoo on her wrist, her favourite of the few she had. "What about you? You got any?"

"Yep." Daryl winked, prompting Kay to shake her head.

* * *

"You're such a cutie," Steph cooed, gently touching Judith's nose as she cradled the baby. She knew the child was Rick's daughter, but she had never asked about the mother. The grim silence concerning the mother's identity alerted Steph to the fact that whoever Judith's mother had been, she was dead now. Nonetheless, she'd never been able to resist small children, especially babies.

"You're good with her," Rick noted as he wandered over. Steph seemed to be a general people person. There wasn't a member of his group who could say they disliked her. Carl adored her, seeing her as an older sister figure – because she always had time for him, and treated him like she was his own age rather than a kid. Steph's kind personality made her an easy person to get along with.

"She's so sweet." Steph looked up from the baby in her arms to glance at Rick. "Who is the mother?"

"My wife, Lori." Rick averted his eyes, and Steph immediately felt uncomfortable at the realisation she was right about Judith's mother being dead – and she'd inadvertently brought up a painful topic. "She died during the birth."

"Oh." Steph bit at her lower lip. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright." Rick watched as Steph rocked Judith. The baby was quiet in her arms. "You seem to like kids. Maybe you'll have some of your own one day."

"It's not the first time someone's said that," Steph murmured, flushing slightly. Back in Woodbury, when she'd first opened up about Ben, the Governor had said she was obviously good with children. He had also made implications that she would be a good mother someday. The memory sent shivers up her spine. "The Governor said…"

"Ah." Rick thought he was beginning to understand. From Steph's comments, it would seem as though the Governor had been somewhat fascinated with her – in an unrequited manner. He watched as the girl averted her eyes. "Could you possibly help me out with Judith?"

Steph nodded enthusiastically. "Of course."

"Thanks." Rick couldn't help but smile. It was stressful enough having to worry about managing everyone in the prison and his teenage son without having to worry about his infant daughter. Sometimes it was surprising to remember that Steph was only nineteen. Her mature attitude made her seem much older.

* * *

Steph was playing a game of Uno with Carl in the dim lighting. They'd managed to find the half-faded pack of cards when they'd gone exploring earlier, and although Carl had had to teach Steph the rules – she hadn't played for years – he was patient with her and she'd even won a game or two. This time, however, Carl was winning. Steph wasn't a competitive person by nature though, so winning wasn't something she relied heavily on.

"Damn, you're too good!" Steph exclaimed, considering her own cards. She placed down a red one, shaking her head when Carl put his last card down and grinned triumphantly. "Okay, okay, you win!"

"Again," Carl reminded her, causing Steph to laugh. She missed the little moments like this, just playing games and enjoying herself and forgetting all about the broken world that she lived in. She watched as Carl yawned and immediately adopted her older-sister attitude.

"Time for bed?"

"It is late," Carl admitted.

A flicker of movement behind him caused Steph to frown, before she noticed that a walker had somehow managed to encroach on their little space. Horror enveloped her and she immediately lunged for her gun. Steph wasn't a good shot like her sister, but she was accurate enough to hit a walker at this close proximity.

"Carl, move!"

He noticed the walker and rolled out of the way as Steph fired a shot, hitting the walker in the head. It hit the ground and she felt shaky with relief. She put the gun down, knowing that the shot would probably alert the others. She gulped as Carl glanced between her and the walker, eyes wide.

"Thanks."

"Carl? You okay?" Steph crossed over and enveloped him in a hug. Okay, so maybe she didn't know this kid all too well yet, but she and Carl had grown close, and he hugged back. He reminded her so strongly of Ben, and it was so good to have that big-sister feeling again, to know that she could protect Carl as she hadn't been able to protect her brother.

"I'm fine," Carl insisted as he stepped back, "Promise."

* * *

Kayla squeezed the water out of the end of her hair into the bowl she was washing it from. She ran the soap through it before rinsing it again. She was using it as a way to zone everything out and to clear her mind. She didn't even notice as Daryl walked into her room, raising an eyebrow as he noticed her washing her hair out of a bowl of soapy water.

"Washing your hair in a bowl?"

"Easiest way to wash it." Kayla looked over at him.

Daryl nodded, watching as she put the bowl of water aside, straightening up, making Daryl aware that she was in shorts and a bra. He smirked, running his eyes over her body, spotting another of her tattoos that was on her hip.

"What?" Kayla questioned, pulling a singlet on.

"You just look good without a shirt on." Daryl complimented, grinning at her.

Kayla couldn't help but smirk, crossing her arms over her chest to accentuate her cleavage. "Oh? So you're enjoying the view?"

"I am." Daryl admitted, his eyes still lazily trailing over her.

Kayla glanced around, suddenly changing the subject. "Have you seen my sister?"

"Outside, last I saw." Daryl told her. He'd seen Steph and Rick hanging around each other earlier in the day. "Rick's with her."

"Oh." Kay had noticed that Steph had been around Rick a lot lately and it was starting to make her worry. He was older then her and she didn't want to see her sister used.

Daryl gave her a questioning look. "What?"

Kayla shook her head, glancing over at him. "Nothing."

"You think something's up there?" Daryl asked, knowing that if anyone knew what was going on, Kayla would. He could tell that the girls had a close relationship.

"I can see she likes him." Kayla admitted, not liking to tell people things to do with emotions. She wasn't that type of person.

Daryl nodded, he'd noticed that Steph had become somewhat attached to Rick. "She follows him around like a puppy."

"She does." Kayla agreed, her voice distant. It was beginning to worry her.

Daryl noticed the look of worry that had crossed Kay's features. "You worry too much."

"Maybe." Kayla bit her lip, unsure of what to make of everything that was happening between Steph and Rick.

* * *

"Steph."

The auburn-haired girl looked up from the dishes from lunch she'd been busily washing and drying. Rick had walked in and examined her. He reached across and took the tea towel gently from her, drying the dishes as she continued to wash them. This arrangement continued in silence, before Rick paused and set down the tea towel, glancing at Steph.

"I hear you saved Carl's life the other night."

Steph gave a neat shrug of her shoulders. "I just shot a walker that had passed through. It wasn't as fantastical as all that."

"You saved my son's life." Rick gripped her arm and turned her to face him. "If you weren't there…I hate to think what could've happened. I've already lost my wife. I don't think I could stand losing Carl. So, thank you."

Steph brushed a strand of hair out of her face. She wasn't used to being thanked for saving people. She was generally the sort of person who went about her business quietly. She didn't see herself as any kind of hero, and it was a bit weird that was what Carl had obviously made her out to be. She nibbled at her lip, a little unsure what to say.

"I guess…anyone would have done what I did, in that situation."

Rick smiled slightly. "I don't think you give yourself enough credit for your actions."

"I think you give me too much," Steph responded. She was glad to have spared Carl a grisly fate, but in her eyes it had only been making up for the death she hadn't been able to spare her little brother. The memory of Ben still hurt like a knife, and she turned her attention back on the few dishes left unwashed.

"I'm glad you came here," Rick said, raking a hand through his dark hair, "Carl seems a lot happier now that he has a friend."

Steph's lips curved into the ghost of a smile. "It's good to have a friend."


	4. Kisses In The Dark

**Chapter Four: Kisses In The Dark**

* * *

**A/N: The rating has been upped to M for a sex scene in this chapter :)**

* * *

Steph lay outside on the grass, watching the stars. She was still close to the prison, knowing she would need to be near the others in case anything bad happened. She just wanted some alone time, some space to breathe. She turned her head as Rick sat down on the grass beside her. Most people she would probably politely excuse herself with, but there was definitely something calming about Rick's presence.

"Hey, Rick." She raked a hand through her thick auburn hair. "I know, it's not safe to be out here."

He couldn't help but chuckle. "As long as you're armed and alert, I think you're fine."

"I like the stars." Steph sat up and leaned forward, resting her chin on her knees. It was sometimes so hard to believe they were living in such a horrible world when there were still so many amazing sights still on offer.

"They're beautiful," Rick said, looking up at the night sky. It was clear, not a cloud in sight. He could see why Steph had made the effort to come outside the prison.

Steph impulsively rested her head on his shoulder, causing Rick to glance at her, a little surprised. He put an arm around her and glanced around as though worried someone might see them, causing Steph to stiffen slightly.

"What's the matter?" she inquired.

"Nothing." Rick shook his head slowly. There were no walkers in the vicinity, he was just being paranoid. "Just a habit."

"You're so alert," Steph stated. It was good to have a leader like that though, someone who knew what they were doing, and who didn't slack off on the job. She found herself getting closer to him without meaning to, so close that his eyes seemed to look into her very soul…and then she was kissing him.

At first she was screaming at herself for being so stupid, almost certain Rick would pull away…but he didn't. He kissed back, so she pressed closer against him, eager as his hand wound into her auburn hair. Steph's small hands trailed up his back, absorbing his warmth even through his clothes. Rick ran his hands up her sides, but Steph drew back, being practical now. No, Rick had lost his wife Lori not too long ago. She shouldn't have kissed him, dammit.

"I'm sorry," Rick immediately apologised as Steph put some distance between them. She shook her head fervently.

"No, it's my fault. I shouldn't have done that. Jesus, you must think I'm a stupid kid…"

"I don't," Rick assured her. Steph might only be nineteen years old, but she was mature and sensible. Kissing him didn't change that – everyone needed some affection every now and again, and Rick found the problem was that he was re-evaluating his feelings for Steph. She was sixteen years younger than him; it seemed almost pedophilic to have romantic assumptions about her.

"Then how do you see me?" Steph inquired, puzzled.

"I like, if that's any consolation," Rick admitted, finding it hard to meet Steph's gaze. "In a more than friends way. I'm just worried your sister would kill me."

Steph burst out in laughter. It had been some time since she'd actually laughed, been genuinely amused by something.

"The mighty Rick, worried about my sister?"

"She looked scary when I first met her." Rick shook his head as he reminisced. "Blood everywhere. Twigs all through her hair…"

"She's just paranoid, because of all the stuff that happened with the Governor." All mirth faded from Steph's face at the mention of him. Rick had picked up on the implications in the past, and he was troubled hearing about them again now. "But nothing _happened._ So I don't see why she's like that. I could defend myself."

"She's an older sister," Rick reminded her, "It makes her protective. Don't ask me to explain it."

"I shouldn't have kissed you," Steph vented, feeling angry at herself once more. "I'm nineteen, you're…older. I know you lost your wife, and I don't want to intrude."

"I do care for you," Rick admitted carefully. It was frightening to think that Steph was closer in age to Carl than him, but it didn't stop him from having feelings for her. "I think I just need more time."

"I understand that," Steph stated, pushing herself to her feet. She didn't want to pressure Rick, because she knew how it felt to be pressured and how uncomfortable it could make you feel. "I should go inside."

"Want me to walk you back to your room?" Rick offered.

Steph shook her head, offering him a small smile as she stuffed her hands in her pockets. "I think I'll be okay."

* * *

"How's it funny?" Daryl exclaimed, as Kayla seemed to only laugh harder, moving close enough to the edge of her bed that she could easily fall off.

Kayla shook her head, still trying to get over what he said. "Just the way you looked when you said it. Not to mention that the whole world's gone to shit and you're BORED."

"World was shit before, just in a different way." Daryl shrugged, leaning back against the wall, stretching out along the bed.

Kayla nodded, glancing at him. He did have a point. "That's true."

"What?" Daryl asked, noticing her looking at him from the corner of her eye.

"Nothing." Kayla gave him a confused look.

Daryl raised an eyebrow. "Something."

"Just thinking." Kayla told him, pushing her blonde hair out of her face.

"About?" Daryl questioned, wondering what had the young woman in front of him seeming so distant.

Kayla shrugged, looking at him with her dark green eyes. "Everything. Mainly the fact that I'm horny as hell."

"Same here." Daryl chuckled, raising an eyebrow as Kayla shifted closer to him, her dark eyes watching him intently.

Daryl reached up a thread his fingers in her long blonde hair, pulling her mouth to his in a hard kiss. There was no emotion between them, just pure lust as Kayla pressed closer against him, sliding into his lap. Daryl put an arm around her waist, his hand resting on the small of her back, his lips trailing from her mouth down to the exposed skin of her neck, eliciting a moan from Kayla as she tilted her head back to allow him more access.

Kayla drew back from him for a moment as she grabbed the hem of her shirt, pulling it over her head. Daryl rakes his eyes over her newly exposed flesh, reaching around to undo her bra, pulling it off her and throwing it into the corner of the room before kissing her again, his hands groping her breasts and making her moan.

Kayla gripped at Daryl's shirt, pulling it off as he flipped them over so that he was on top of her. Kayla used the new position to shrug her shorts off as Daryl undid his pants, shoving them down. Daryl pulled her close to him before thrusting into her, the two of them letting out equal moans of pleasure.

Kayla pressed herself closer to him as his hands found purchase on her hips as he moved faster against her. Kayla dugs her nails into his shoulder, not caring at how they drew blood as she raked them down his back, her senses overcome with pleasure. Her rough nature drew a moan from him as he kissed down her neck, biting and sucking.

"Fuck..." Daryl gasped against her neck as their movements became more erratic, their pleasure nearing its peak.

Kayla bit into Daryl's shoulder as she felt her orgasm ripple through her, effectively bringing Daryl over the edge after her, both of them gasping for breath as they came down from their high.

"Holy... Fuck..." Kayla panted, her whole body buzzing. "That felt fucking amazing.'

"It did." Daryl agreed, rolling off of her, tugging the thin blanket around them, watching Kayla as she stretched out. "Did I tire you out, huh?"

"Only a little." Kayla grinned.

* * *

Rick walked into the kitchen after a long day, raking a hand through his hair as he searched for water bottles. Grabbing one and taking a long gulp, he turned to realise that Steph was asleep on the counter, her head rested on her arms. It looked like she had fallen asleep drying the dishes. Rick approached her and gently removed the tea towel from under her arms, picking her up. It was probably best that he took her to her room.

He walked down the narrow corridors, glancing down at the auburn-haired girl as she murmured something, her head lolling to rest against his chest. She shifted slightly in his arms as he set her down on her bed. Steph seemed to regain some trace of consciousness, curling on her side and fisting her hands in the blankets. She stirred and opened her eyes, looking up blearily.

"Rick? Come here." He moved over a little cautiously and she tilted her head to the side. "Sleep here?"

"Alright." Perhaps if it had been another, more cunning woman, Rick would have suspected ulterior motives. Yet when Steph rolled over to give him room, he knew there was nothing sexual about the request. She just wanted company. He tugged his shirt off and flopped beside her, putting an arm around her as she curled close to him.

"You're so warm," Steph murmured, trailing her fingers down his chest. She appeared almost fascinated, although Rick attributed that behaviour to lack of sleep. He stroked her hair as she closed her eyes. "Do you really like me, or were you just saying that?"

"I do like you, Steph," Rick insisted, "You interest me. You're a lot more mature than most people your age. You're sweet as well, and good with the kids. They need a mother figure."

"I think Carl sees me as more of a sister," Steph replied softly.

"Well, they need a woman in their life who they can look up to," Rick stated. He was sure that Steph could be the kind of maternal figure that Judith needed growing up. Carl had already taken very well to Steph also.

"I don't know if I could be what they need," Steph responded doubtfully.

"You're good with both of them," Rick assured her, kissing her cheek as she put her arms around him affectionately. She tugged the blankets around them and he inspected her quizzically. "Why did you want me to stay?

"I like you," Steph admitted, her cheeks flaring red. "And I…sometimes I get lonely. But if you want to go, you can go."

"No, I don't want to go." Rick watched as she continued to trail her fingers up and down his chest, causing him to chuckle lightly. "That tickles."

"It feels weird," Steph mumbled, almost to herself. "I've never touched a man like this before. Yeah, I've kissed guys, done other stuff but…never just…cuddled, kind of. And I'm…still a virgin." She glanced at Rick. "Sorry. I didn't mean to ramble."

"It's fine," Rick replied. He sometimes liked listening to Steph just talking. She really was such a sweet girl.

"We should sleep," Steph commented, closing her eyes and causing Rick to crack a smile.

"Yes, ma'am."

* * *

Kayla shifted in her sleep, as her dreams became fractured nightmares of her past. It wasn't uncommon for her to have nightmares about when the dead had first started walking…

_"Kayla, come on, get out of bed!" Kayla was roused from her sleep by her boyfriend of three years, Nathan. His voice was panicked and Kayla immediately knew something was wrong when Nathan began throwing clothes into a bag, grabbing another bag of what she could see was packaged food and bottles of water. _

_"What's going on, Nate?" Kayla questioned as she pulled herself out of her bed, making herself distantly aware of the screaming coming from outside. _

_"Zombies." Nate replied quickly, throwing a jumper at her and grabbing the keys to his bike. _

_Kayla pulled her jumper on, taking one of the bags he threw at her and slinging it over her shoulder. "You're joking right?" _

_"Nope. Just wait until we get outside." But Kayla didn't have to wait that long._

_As they went to walk out of their bedroom, two people, well dead looking people, burst into their room, running at them. Kayla staggered back, grabbing a knife from the draw before spinning back. She'd stabbed the dead person in the head who had run at her, hoping all those hours of watching Resident Evil paid off. Nate seemed to have the same line of thinking and had stabbed the other one through the head. _

_"We'll have to go out through the window." Nate said, pushing her out of their bedroom window before following her. The two got on his motorbike before he started it up, driving down the road, past the carnage of the once peaceful street they had lived in._

Kayla jolted awake, her heart hammering beneath her chest. She sat up, suddenly remembering what had occurred the night before when the cool morning air hit her bare chest. She glanced down to see Daryl still asleep beside her, snoring softly. She noticed how much younger he looked while asleep; it almost made him look cute.

She watched as he rolled over in his sleep, half hanging off of the edge of the bed. She couldn't help but laugh as his body weight dragged him out of the bed and onto the floor where he landed with a resounding thud. Kayla shook her head as he sat up, rubbing his head.

"You okay?" Kayla asked, trying to keep the laughter out of her voice.

Daryl grimaced, still rubbing his head as he looked up at her. "Shit. Fucking head."

Kayla shrugged, stretching out on the bed, looking over at him as he got to his feet, raking his hair back and out of his face. "What are you doing today?"

"Patrolling. Nothing interesting." Daryl shrugged, looking around the room for his clothes before turning back to her. "What about you?"

"Nothing planned. I'm still meant to be resting." Kayla made a face. Her leg wasn't sore anymore, so why did she still need to rest the bloody thing?

Daryl nodded, bundling his clothes up as he tugged his pants on. "Well, have fun resting."

"Like that's going to happen." Kay rolled her eyes. Resting for her meant going for a run and possibly killing more walkers. The less of them in the world, the better it was for everyone.

"Well you certainly weren't resting last night..." Daryl grinned, referring to their previous night.

Kay smirked, sitting up, wrapping her sheet around herself. "And you certainly weren't bored."

"Oh, I know." Daryl winked, untangling his shirt.

Kayla shook her head, getting to her feet and walking over to her bag to fish out some fresh clothes. She could feel Daryl's eyes on her as he tugged his shirt on, watching as she dropped the sheet and began to get dressed. Once she was finished, she grabbed her hairbrush and tugged it through her blonde hair before tying it up.

"So, what you gonna do if you're not resting?" Daryl asked, watching as she gathered up her weapons.

Kay shrugged, "Thought I might come with you."

"Guess I probably can't stop you." Daryl chuckled, knowing that the elder Argon sister was stubborn and determined.

Kayla grinned, putting her gun in its holster in case she needed it. "You might enjoy the company."

"Mm, maybe." Daryl smirked, grabbing his crossbow.

Kayla watched him. "You love that thing."

"Certainly do." Daryl grinned slinging the crossbow over his shoulder before walking out of the room, Kayla following.


End file.
